Got the fix and now constant problems

I got the emissions fix in late August in California. A week later, the engine light came on and it was code P2457. Turned out it needed a new heater core, luckily covered by extended warranty. I drove it home from the shop and parked it, next morning the car would not start. Jumped it, thought it might be dead battery. It started once and I parked it later that day, now the car is dead again. Had it towed back to shop: either it's another strange coincidence with a car that has NEVER given me any troubles. Or, more likely, the emissions fix is causing cascading issues from faulty software not working correctly with the hardware on the car. I'm guessing the latter. DO THE BUYBACK IF YOU CAN. I've had nothing but headaches and time in shop since we got the fix.

There have been other owners who've complained about battery issues after the emissions fix, however it seems to be a fluke issue. Batteries can go bad at any given time for no apparent reason.
Throw a new battery in there and you should be good to go.

Thanks for sharing your experience and advice by the way....

My 2013 Golf Battery died right before buyback in April, my 2014 Q7 battery is starting to give me issues too (not fixed); like clockwork Ive had my last 4 vehicles battery go kaput on Year 4.. thats pretty typical.

The heater core clogging has nothing to do with any emissions change.

The battery has nothing to do with any emissions change.

And neither is that big of a deal, and neither would be cause for headaches nor time in the shop. The heater core is a 1.4 hour job. The battery is 10 minutes.

Please stop whining about problems that do not exist.

If it is so awful, take the wad of cash and put it down on a new car, and sell your Golf. They are in high demand now.

Forum needs a like button

I don't know how in demand they are though. My 15 golf sat on the lot since July. Then again, they were asking too much. (18, 999). I got it for 16, 700.
I see some moving off lots, but many not moving. I would imagine that finding 2015s with under 20k miles will be harder and harder going forward though.

I'd be interested to see what the average lot age is on 2015 fixed used tdis, and what the best sellers are. I'd guess the best sellers are wagons and Jettas.

oilhammer said:

The heater core clogging has nothing to do with any emissions change.

The battery has nothing to do with any emissions change.

And neither is that big of a deal, and neither would be cause for headaches nor time in the shop. The heater core is a 1.4 hour job. The battery is 10 minutes.

Please stop whining about problems that do not exist.

If it is so awful, take the wad of cash and put it down on a new car, and sell your Golf. They are in high demand now.

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I'd argue only that the emissions fix has identified poor performing heater cores that were close to completely blocked. Yes if before the fix you performed a test on the heater core it'd fail, but its the increased EGR duty cycle that is now identifying nearly clogged cores.

As for battery I'd agree, its a wear item anything over 4 years is gravy for an OEM battery.

Borsig said:

Forum needs a like button

I don't know how in demand they are though. My 15 golf sat on the lot since July. Then again, they were asking too much. (18, 999). I got it for 16, 700.
I see some moving off lots, but many not moving. I would imagine that finding 2015s with under 20k miles will be harder and harder going forward though.

I'd be interested to see what the average lot age is on 2015 fixed used tdis, and what the best sellers are. I'd guess the best sellers are wagons and Jettas.

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Some dealers still think they have gold with their TDIs. I was looking at a GSW in VA and they wouldn't budge on price. Instead added their bogus $699 processing fee. Anyway I laugh every time I see the car still listed online. The GSW I ended up buying was reduced by 3k in a last attempt to sell it before going to auction. At least that's what the dealer told me.

Heater core is a known issue but isn't covered under warranty. I got mine o reed as a "goodwill gesture".

What oilhammer says is a 1.4 hr job took an overnight in the shop for me. Not all of us have our own garages, that condescending attitude is unproductive.

Once my heater core was replaced my post "fix" has been running smoothly.

add1son said:

Heater core is a known issue but isn't covered under warranty. I got mine o reed as a "goodwill gesture".

What oilhammer says is a 1.4 hr job took an overnight in the shop for me. Not all of us have our own garages, that condescending attitude is unproductive.

Once my heater core was replaced my post "fix" has been running smoothly.

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He wasn't being condescending. You come across equally as whiny as the op.

turbobrick240 said:

He wasn't being condescending. You come across equally as whiny as the op.

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Since you're into a pissing contest, may I ask what is "whiney" about him or the OP sharing their personal experience here on the forum.

It's cheaper to learn from other people's mistakes, than your own, and I for one appreciate this forum for that very reason.

If you can't stand first hand experience/complaints, then I would suggest spending time elsewhere.

duratitus said:

Since you're into a pissing contest, may I ask what is "whiney" about him or the OP sharing their personal experience here on the forum.

It's cheaper to learn from other people's mistakes, than your own, and I for one appreciate this forum for that very reason.

If you can't stand first hand experience/complaints, then I would suggest spending time elsewhere.

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Pissing contest? Hardly. The op was complaining as though his dead battery and clogged heater core were somehow related to his emissions modification. Not related. And not big ticket repairs. Then snowflake got offended by the notion that Oilhammer can replace a heater core more efficiently than he can. And I have no idea what your deal is. But since I've only ever see you post in the dieselgate subforum.....

More he said she said.

I'm moving on......

Just for the record, I was not "bragging" about the heater core. It is a 1.4hr job by the book. Has nothing to do with how long it would take me or anyone else. The labor time is 1.4 hours, period. In other words, a very easy heater core. Many of them, including most all older VAG products, require the entire HVAC case be removed, after the entire dashboard is removed. Usually 5 to 8 hours, a MUCH bigger expense. There is no "he said, she said". The BOOK said.

The fact that Volkswagen finally designed them to be easily swapped without major disassembly is a good thing.

The OP is stating alarmist falsehoods about the fix. And is recommending someone sell back their car instead, which is silly because the OP has NOT had "constant problems" and has not had ANY problems (according to their post) that could be DIRECTLY related to the fix. Period. If those two MINOR inconveniences equate to "constant problems and nothing but headaches" then that person has had a very good life so far. Snowflakes indeed.

Jeeze, way to be unproductive and condescending, you can't bring facts into this topic!

Also there have been more and more reports of the heater core replaced under the extended emissions.

jobear said:

I got the emissions fix in late August in California. A week later, the engine light came on and it was code P2457. Turned out it needed a new heater core, luckily covered by extended warranty. I drove it home from the shop and parked it, next morning the car would not start. Jumped it, thought it might be dead battery. It started once and I parked it later that day, now the car is dead again. Had it towed back to shop: either it's another strange coincidence with a car that has NEVER given me any troubles. Or, more likely, the emissions fix is causing cascading issues from faulty software not working correctly with the hardware on the car. I'm guessing the latter. DO THE BUYBACK IF YOU CAN. I've had nothing but headaches and time in shop since we got the fix.

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Battery(s) are quirky -- Wife's 2015 RAV4 LIMITED blew a battery at 25-26 months -- No Charge. Thanks Jim Norton Toyota

Gen 3 2.0 liter Golf -- keeping the car -- got the Phase 1 "s/w" fix early this year. Where can I find out about Part II - supposedly a nine hour job with loaner ?

Not announced yet. It will be at least a year after part one.

oilhammer said:

The labor time is 1.4 hours, period. In other words, a very easy heater core. Many of them, including most all older VAG products, require the entire HVAC case be removed, after the entire dashboard is removed. Usually 5 to 8 hours, a MUCH bigger expense.

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As an owner of a Mk2, I can attest to the absolute accuracy of this. Swapping out a heater core in a Mk2 GTI is time consuming and a PITA. A 1.4 hour swap in newer models sounds like heaven.

740GLE said:

Jeeze, way to be unproductive and condescending, you can't bring facts into this topic!

Also there have been more and more reports of the heater core replaced under the extended emissions.

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Just stop.